Stoplights Hyundai Santa Fe 2007 Owner's Manual

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
23
DRIVING FOR ECONOMYC140A02A-AATYou can save fuel and get more miles from
your car if you follow these suggestions:
o Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts
or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race be-
tween stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to that of the other traffic so you
don't have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe distance
from other vehicles so you can avoid
unnecessary braking. This also reduces
brake wear.
o Drive at a moderate speed. The faster
you drive, the more fuel your car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, espe-
cially on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-
tion.
o Don't "ride" the brake or clutch pedal.
This can increase fuel consumption and
also increase wear on these compo-
nents. In addition, driving with your foot
resting on the brake pedal may cause
the brakes to overheat, which reduces
their effectiveness and may lead to more
serious consequences.o Take care of your tires. Keep them in-
flated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least
once a month.
o Be sure that the wheels are aligned
correctly. Improper alignment can re-
sult from hitting curbs or driving too fast
over irregular surfaces. Poor alignment
causes faster tire wear and may also
result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.
o Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced main-
tenance costs, maintain your car in ac-
cordance with the maintenance sched-
ule in Section 5. If you drive your car in
severe conditions, more frequent main-
tenance is required (see Section 5 for
details).
o Keep your car clean. For maximum
service, your Hyundai should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-
sion.o Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your car. Weight reduces fuel
economy.
o Don't let the engine idle longer than
necessary. If you are waiting (and not in
traffic), turn off your engine and restart
only when you're ready to go.
o Remember, your Hyundai does not re-
quire extended warm-up. After the en-
gine has started, allow the engine to run
for 10 to 20 seconds prior to placing the
vehicle in gear. In very cold weather,
however, give your engine a slightly
longer warm-up period.
o Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine.
Lugging is driving too slowly in too high
a gear resulting in the engine bucking.
If this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine be-
yond its safe limit. This can be avoided
by shifting at the recommended speeds.
o Use your air conditioning sparingly. The
air conditioning system is operated by
engine power so your fuel economy is
reduced when you use it.